


Down The Hall

by Kalloway



Category: Gundam SEED
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-28 01:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5073085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalloway/pseuds/Kalloway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Athrun is recovering from his own injuries, but Cagalli is fairly sure there's another patient he should meet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Down The Hall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Moon_Blitz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Blitz/gifts).



"Hey, think you can go for a little walk?" Cagalli questioned. Athrun shifted on his hospital bed and looked past her at the armed guards acting as her silent shadows. 

He nodded. "I suppose."

It took a moment, but she smiled. "I have someone I want you to meet. I didn't even know about him until today, but I think... Ah, just come along."

Athrun got to his feet despite his body protesting every movement. He was still fresh off a dose of painkillers but the last thing he wanted was to have to lean on Cagalli. But the guards would be worse... 

She held out her hand without prompting and blushing, Athrun accepted. 

"I don't feel amazing either," she said softly. 

Athrun just let her lead the way. She didn't say a word til they arrived in another part of the hospital. 

"Apparently, someone pulled him out of Heliopolis," Cagalli said before giving Athrun a little shove towards a closed door without a name on it, just a stripe of red. 

Confused, Athrun opened it slowly, not at all sure what to expect. The room was dim - without the lights on, it had to rely on natural light and the sun had moved along - but Athrun didn't have any problem with that. He'd recognize the young man on the bed anywhere, even wrapped in bandages and hooked up to a half-dozen machines. 

"Rusty?" Athrun questioned as he stepped forward. Quickly, he glanced back at Cagalli and her shadows, but she just gave him a little shoo with her hand and he nodded. 

"Rusty, is that you?"

"Athrun?" Rusty's voice sounded terrible, but it was definitely him. Blue eyes opened slowly, blinking a couple of times. "Is it really you?"

"Yeah," Athrun replied. He grabbed the hard plastic visitor's chair from the far side of the room and dragged it over to Rusty's side, needing desperately to sit for multiple reasons. Athrun was sure Rusty had been dead. He'd never questioned it. He'd...

Rusty offered a hand, half-wrapped, bruised and with an IV stuck into his wrist, but Athrun squeezed it anyway. 

"What are you doing here?" Rusty questioned. 

"I should ask you the same thing," Athrun replied. He didn't bother to blink away his tears. "I..."

He glanced back to the doorway, to Cagalli, to thank her, but... she'd vanished and the door was nearly closed. Athrun didn't doubt the guards were still there, but he didn't mind. 

"I've missed you," Rusty said after a moment. "I look a mess. But the food here is pretty good."

Athrun couldn't help himself. It hurt, but he laughed. "That's the first thing you have to say?"

Rusty smiled and gave Athrun's hand a little squeeze. "Well, I've been doing some thinking, too..."


End file.
